


Single Riders Will Be Paired

by vivilove



Series: Dialogue/Tumblr Prompts [11]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Amusement Park, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Meet-Cute, Panic Attacks, Roller Coasters, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-12 05:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20994611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivilove/pseuds/vivilove
Summary: Despite her fear of roller coasters, Sansa agrees to ride one with Bran and Rickon when Robb gets sick not realizing that she'll be sharing her car with a stranger nor knowing how glad she'll be of that.





	Single Riders Will Be Paired

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amymel86](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amymel86/gifts).

> For Amy's dialogue prompt on Tumblr 'Are you scared?'

**Single Riders Will Be Paired**

Sansa groans as she notices the sign. The Ice Dragon 325 is the hottest new coaster at Wolfswood Amusement Park and the queue is long. So, of course the boys want to ride it again…for the fifth time today as the sun is going down.

_“One more time!”_ they’d begged with the most undeniable puppy dog eyes.

But Big Bro Robb had been forced to make a break for the closest trash bin after the park’s dubious fish tacos and ride number four so Big Sis Sansa is now obligated to ride with them.

Granted, Bran and Rickon take exception to this, saying at fifteen and eleven they are perfectly mature enough to ride the coaster without a ‘legal guardian’ present.

_“Tell that to the people on Zombie Blasters Apocalypse.”_

_“We were just really into it!”_

_“Shouting ‘It’s real! They’re coming for us all!’ and inciting a panic isn’t just being ‘into it,’ Bran. And neither is hiding behind the host stall in the hopes of sneaking back on after you’ve been banned for the season, Rickon. Just hope Robb and I don’t tell Mom and Dad.”_

The pair of them had given her the stink eye and the silent treatment all through the queue after that.

But now, they’re nearly to the front and Sansa’s staring at the steel monstrosity and feeling decidedly queasy._ If only Arya had come today instead_. She’s not fond of roller coasters, especially not ones like this. Two minutes and twenty-six seconds of sheer terror await. A 200 foot drop at the start with unnatural G forces in the inversions and speeds up to 80 mph, it doesn’t sound like anything the human frame was meant to endure in her opinion.

“Gods above,” she murmurs before turning to the boys. “So, this is my first time. Who wants to ride with me?”

They both continue to give her the stink eye. _Boys_.

And here’s the other thing that doesn’t make her a coaster enthusiast. She hates the over the shoulder harness system with these kind. There’s just something so oppressive about feeling pinned to her seat. Not that she’d want to go flying off mid-ride but being trapped, held down is something akin to a phobia for her.

When the gates open for them to board, her heart starts fluttering madly and every instinct is telling her to run. The boys are perfectly big enough to ride alone and it’d be hard for them to get up to much mischief on a ride like this.

However, like they’re on autopilot, her feet follow the path to her seat with the boys right in front of her.

_It’s two minutes, Sansa. You can do this._

_Two minutes and twenty-six seconds…Sweet Maiden._

She’s trying to buckle her restraint despite her shaking hands when the attendant calls out: “Single Rider, here! We got room for a Singer Rider!”

Great. She doesn’t want some stranger squeezed in beside her as she battles a hopefully mild and outwardly concealed panic attack. But she hears a voice call out and suddenly there’s a body climbing in next to her.

She catches a faint whiff on cologne or aftershave (a pleasing scent and nice contrast to the multitude of people here who seem to have forgotten to apply deodorant this morning…including Rickon) and then she sees a mop of dark curls, a head turned away from her as her fellow passenger reaches to secure his end of the belt.

When he turns so they can join the two halves, she’s met with dark grey eyes and ridiculously kissable lips.

“Hey,” he says in a quick breathy way. Gods, he’s gorgeous.

She opens her mouth to reply but the overhead harness is coming down, blocking conversation for their few remaining seconds before blast off.

They’re off before her seatmate looks her way again and Sansa’s heart is pounding once more from her upcoming terror.

Or maybe not.

The view’s quite lovely really as they climb the lift hill. She doesn’t care for the rattling sound of the chain pull but she can block that out and look around. She can see for miles. There’s mountains in the distance and she can picture herself as a bird, free to fly and not held back by anything at all.

Until…

“Why have we stopped?” She tries looking behind her but her view’s restricted by the coaster cars and her harness. “Bran? Why have we stopped?!”

“I don’t know. It’s a new ride. Maybe it’s just a safety check.”

How can he be so calm? How can anyone be calm? Why is she the only one who’s on the verge of having a total freak out here on the coaster after coming to a stop for all of fifteen seconds?!

“Are you scared?”

_No, I’m peachy,_ she’d like to say. She whimpers instead.

“Sorry. Stupid question. I’m Jon. Are you okay?”

She hates to admit she’s not but she is not! “I’m…I’m Sansa and I’m not okay.”

“Okay, Sansa. Is that your brother ahead of us?”

“Yes, both of them.”

“Did they talk you into riding this?”

“Sort of.”

“We did not!” Rickon shouts. “She just doesn’t trust us to behave!”

She hears what sounds like a chuckle from Jon before he’s talking just to her again. “Would you rather me talk to you or shut up?”

“Talk to me. Please, talk to me.”

So, he does. He talks about innocuous things, gently testing out topics that help her relax. It helps more than she’d expect. They’re both students at Winterfell as it turns out.

A scratchy voice comes through an intercom and reports the delay is temporary and should be resolved in less than thirty minutes.

“Thirty minutes?!” she screeches, all of Jon’s calming progress completely forgotten. She’s suffocating. The restraints are cutting her in two. She can’t breathe. She’s trapped and there’s no escape. She’s going to die here.

“Hey, we’re okay, I promise. We’re going to be okay. We’re stopped and there’s steps here along the track if they can’t safely get the ride moving for us to use. May I hold your hand, Sansa?”

She nods as best as she can, not trusting her voice right now. His hand is warm and a little sweaty just like hers. She doesn’t care. She holds it like its her lifeline.

“I hope it’s not thirty minutes,” Jon tells her next. “I was in such a rush to ride one more time. I should’ve hit the head first.”

“No shit,” she snickers, suddenly feeling marginally better with his admittance.

“Well, I just need to pee but yeah.”

She laughs harder but that reminds her of the restraints again. “I don’t like feeling held down,” she whispers, not sure if he’ll hear her.

“It can be a very unpleasant feeling,” he says softly, his thumb lightly caressing the back of her hand in a regular pattern. “Let’s take a few deep breaths together and think of something else.” They take several breaths. It helps. “I feel like humming. Would you want to hum with me?”

It’s ridiculous but it works to relax her even further.

“I want off this thing!” Rickon shouts suddenly, his own voice edged with more than a little panic.

She’s the big sister and she’s here with them. “We’re okay, Rickon,” she says, looking to Jon and finding confidence in his smile. “They’ll either get us moving or get us off as soon as they can.”

“Robb’s going to be worried,” Bran says next.

“He knew we were riding and I’m sure they’re keeping guests informed of what’s happening. All he has to do is look up, right?”

She’s feeling better than she’d expect between holding Jon’s hand and having the boys to take care of.

“Robb?” Jon murmurs beside her.

She glances his way and the question is pretty clear. “My older brother. Too many rides combined with fish tacos.” She makes a gagging face and Jon starts laughing.

“Oh, gods…that’d be nasty. Good thing I got you and not him next to me.”

She tightens her grip on his hand and they’re grinning just as the chain pull rattles back to life and they continue their journey.

When it’s over, she’s sure her hair’s a mess and she knows Robb’s waiting to take them home. But she hates to say goodbye to Jon and think she’ll never see him again. Maybe they’ll run into each other on campus. She wonders what he’d say if she offered him her number. She doesn’t have to wonder very long.

He’s got his hands stuffed in his jeans pockets and he's biting at those kissable lips of his. “So, Sansa…if you’d care to get stuck on a roller coaster again sometime…or maybe go grab something to eat instead…” He’s blushing and it’s really adorable.

“I guess I’d need your number in case I’m heading on any more coasters…or maybe if I decided to grab a bite to eat later since I was wise enough to avoid the theme-park fish tacos.”

He gives her his number and then starts walking away backwards through the large crowd exiting the ride as long as he can just to watch her. She can’t stop smiling as he does.

Once he’s out of sight, she puts her arms around her brothers who apologize for her horrible first experience on the Ice Dragon.

“Oh, it could’ve been worse,” she says before clicking a picture of that notice sign and sending Jon a text: _Single riders will be paired and this single rider feels like pizza tonight if you’re interested._

His reply that he would love that comes through within seconds.


End file.
